MALMÖ – Smaller crowd at Malmö stadium, about 1/3 of Ullevi, but the band was just as good as in Gothenburg – if not better. They seemed more relaxed, talking to and joking around with the audience a bit more. Micke Syd even messed up the first line of “Min tjej och jag” because he just couldn’t help himself and burst out laughing right at the beginning of the song and Per greeted the international fans in English once again. As the previous night at Ullevi, the show started with “Det blir aldrig som man tänkt sej.” “Dags att tänka på refrängen” was skipped and “Vera” is still reported missing, but we got Susanne instead. Even if the latest GT album has quite a few great up-tempo songs which could easily have been turned into rocking live songs, it’s plain to see that the most powerful reaction received from the public is during the older songs from the ‘80s, which justifies the set list packed full with golden gems.

This time around I got a seat somewhere at the back of the stadium since the tickets for the field area were already sold-out as the Ticnet agent clearly showed me on his monitor back in mid-May. However, there were still some empty seats left up in the stands even during the concert. The sides of the arena were closed to the public and the running track served as a big avenue for people to move between the field and the concert facilities. There was also an elevated ramp for the disabled and the parents with children in prams, very thoughtful.

Even though I was a bit far from the stage, I had a nice panoramic view over the stadium. The crowd in the field area got going from the very first song and went on like this until the end of the show. It was so much fun to see people well into their age doing all kinds of funny dances in the crowd and along the running tracks, on their way to get another beer. The Swedes surely like their GT and where to show it better and shamelessly than at a GT concert. During “Tuffa tider” the field crowd got in full swing and towards the end of the main set list (“Puls,” “Ljudet av ett annat hjärta,” “Ska vi älska, så ska vi älska till Buddy Holly,” “Leva livet” and “Tylö Sun”) they were unstoppable. Up in the stands however, people were rather reserved, singing and clapping hands while seated. It was only at the end of the first encore that they got to stand up and join the big summer party. “Gå & fiska!” did it for them, so maybe there was some sense in kicking off the tour in Halmstad precisely with this song. Some of the people sitting around me went down to the field area to get some more fun and dance more freely. “Sommartider” made each and every one sing along and clap their hands. When the show ended and all the GT friends were really supposed to get home, the crowd rushed to the exits and the actual concert-goers flooded the alleys and the big park nearby in which many picnickers had spread out their blankets before the concert for a more audio-wise GT experience.

The tour is now moving from the west coast into the heart of Sweden. Make sure to check it out in person or on the regular GT and Rox Internet pages. And let’s hope that despite the title of the latest GT album, there will be yet another reunion, preferably in less than 9 years from now.

This article was written for an earlier version of The Daily Roxette. Technical errors may occur.